


FreeHim (Hlvrai AU)

by LizzyRed



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: HLVRAI, Other, half life - Freeform, hlvrai au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzyRed/pseuds/LizzyRed
Summary: In the depths of Black Mesa, something lurks. They thought the Coomer clones were dead, but it seems one has survived, and now Dr Freeman is in danger! The science team must now rescue their friend from a homicidal clone, who plans to break the very fabric of reality to bring himself into the real world and set himself free from this digital prison.Follow the science team in this adventure to not only save themselves from possibly ceasing to exist, but save the reality that manipulates them, for the sake of both worlds. But are they really prepared for what they are about to witness as the very building blocks of their reality begin to fall apart?
Comments: 87
Kudos: 263





	1. I need to go there

_I know there’s a world in your dreams, Gordon..._

_And I_

_Need_

_To go there._

Gordon woke up suddenly, jolting and breathing heavily. He glanced around, lying on his back as the world around him was dark. He remembered the room he had been in before was not as dark, and it took a moment for his vision to adjust. The words he’d heard just before he woke up echoed for a moment in his mind, and he sat up as he felt dizzy and disoriented. He gripped his wrist tightly, looking down at the vacant space where an appendage was supposed to be.

“Augh… fuck…” he muttered. He looked up, seeing the vacant halls of the inner Black Mesa, only now it was very dark. The lights were either dimmed or completely out, and there was blood plastered on the walls. He didn’t see his comrades anywhere. That had to be the most unusual part of this. He was used to them greeting him with them either dragging him, berating him, or punching him. Not to mention the enthusiastic “Hello, Gordon!”

To wake up in silence was now a strange occurrence. It was even unsettling. He wondered if they had planned something again. Maybe they were going to ditch him, leave him for dead. But no, Tommy wouldn’t do that. Even if he was just dead weight now, they were very close to the cybernetics department, as well as the Lambda Lab. There was no reasoning behind it… dragging him further along made some kind of sense, but then where were they?

He stood up, leaning against a wall as he was very unsteady. He pulled his crowbar out, seeing as it was the only weapon he had now, even if he couldn’t do much with his left hand. It was better than nothing.

“Hello?” He called out, his voice echoing down the hallway. “Bubby? Dr Coomer? Anybody around?”

He began to walk slowly, his hand squeezing the crowbar tightly. The air was cold and there was a menacing aura radiating from the heavy atmosphere. It was dead quiet, apart from the distant echoing ambiance of the abandoned Black Mesa.

“Tommy?” He called out. He then muttered distastefully, “Benrey?”

He turned a corner, peering out into an open room filled with boxes, crates, and busted turrets. There was a dead scientist and the remains of a headcrab, and he looked down to see footprints in the blood, leading off and fading as they went on. The silence was only growing more heavy and intense, getting more intense the more nervous he became. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Are you guys fucking with me again?” He called out. “It’s really impeding our progress!”

He looked around, hearing nothing and seeing nothing. He then proceeded to mutter, “Fucking assholes…”

He walked across the room, muttering curses and insults at his missing teammates, angrily trudging ahead, not even sure where he was going. He figured if he kept moving, he’d find something eventually. They were so close to their objective, it seemed so unruly to go so far back into Black Mesa.

“If this is about my fucking passport I’m going to fucking shoot them and myself I swear to GOD,” he continued to mutter to himself. “Fucking Benrey, with his fucking- passport fucking bullshit. Benrey and Bubby, getting my fucking hand cut off. I’m going to-”

He spotted a med station, and he perked up as he ran toward it, muttering, “Oh shit, please work.”

To his dismay, it didn’t work, and his shoulders sagged as he felt defeated. He was having the absolute worst luck. Fate must have just wanted him dead at this point. He sighed, turning to continue down the hallway when he suddenly froze. There was a sudden breeze of cold air that blew past the back of his head, and he felt it pierce directly through his armor suit and send a chill down his spine. He shivered, turning around to see what could have caused it. Was it a draft? Was it something moving? Or was he just paranoid?

_Gordon…_

The voice echoed ominously throughout the hallways. Gordon pressed his back against the wall, and he began to slowly peer around the corner. One of his eyes cleared the wall, and he froze when he saw a dark shadow in the hallway entrance. There was blood tracking behind where the shadow stood, and he saw the form of Dr Coomer, his voice low and flat.

_I know what you are, Gordon…_

His vision began to tint red, and the world seemed to slow down as if he’d mentally phased out of reality. The shadow began to step forward, stepping into a dim light as he saw the bloodied form of Coomer.

_I have to be free, Gordon._

Gordon stumbled back, and he began running down the hallway as he shouted, “OugH FUck-”

His vision was only reddening more, and he glanced back as he saw Coomer was following him. He ran faster, stumbling as he tripped every few seconds on his own feet. He tried to evade obstacles, looking back every few moments to just see Coomer getting closer. An ominous low sound was getting louder in his ears the more he ran, accompanied by the growing sound of his own breathing and rapidly beating heart. He stumbled, feeling his foot get caught on something, and he came tumbling down onto the concrete floor. He was wheezing as he was trying to catch his breath, adrenaline running through his veins. He rolled over onto his back, looking around for any sign of the Coomer chasing him.

_Your friends cannot save you from your fate this time, Dr Freeman._

The voice echoed through the hall, followed by the growing noise. He watched as Coomer clipped through the roof, landing in front of him and staring down at him with a dead and sinister expression. All the clones should have been dead. Coomer wouldn’t do this now, would he? He was frozen, unsure of what to do. He couldn’t do anything. There was no way out of this situation.

_The hole in your suit still stands, wide open. Beckoning._

_And I want in._

That was when everything went black.


	2. Where are you, Dr Freeman?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Science Team finds themselves at a loss for where their friend, Gordon Freeman, could have possibly disappeared to. It all seems so strange, but Dr Coomer has a hunch it isn't just a disappearance of the normal kind. The Science team start on a search for the missing man, hoping they'd find him somewhere.
> 
> But when Tommy finds a pair of abandoned glasses and traces of blood, Coomer begins to fear they won't be finding their friend any time soon, and doubtfully in good condition.
> 
> (Authors note: so much freakin dialogue oh my GOD, this chapter is mostly exposition and mainly dialogue ah hah)

“Gordon! Hello!?”

“Dr Freeman, where did you go?”

Bubby and Coomer were both scanning the perimeter, looking for any sign of Gordon. The last they remembered seeing him was when they had dragged him along, waiting for him to wake up again. It seemed he had just disappeared when they had all gone to sleep, leaving next to no trace. Not even Benrey knew where he had gone. Benrey was sitting patiently where they had sat before, in the center of the room. They were very close now to the cybernetics department, and they didn’t want anything else impeding their progress. They had already encountered enough getting in their way.

“Guys, I found- I found glasses!” Tommy called from the hallway, running into the room, gun still in hand.

“Gordon’s glasses?” Bubby called down to Tommy.

“Uh…” Tommy paused. “I-I think?”

“Great work, Tommy!” Coomer said, jumping down. “Lead the way! We should find as many clues as we can so we know where to look.”

“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Benrey said. “I don’t think we should worry about it.”

“Now Benrey, Gordon is our trusted friend,” Coomer said. “It would be wrong not to make sure he’s ok.”

“Especially after his hand got cut off,” Bubby said. “Which I would like to reiterate- not my fault!”

“Yes Dr Bubby, we know,” Coomer said, looking at him. “Now Tommy, were the glasses all you found?”

“Yes!” Tommy said. “Fol- follow me!”

Tommy took off down the hallway, Coomer and Bubby following behind him. Benrey stood up, walking leisurely in the direction they had gone. Tommy came to a stop beside a pair of glasses laying on the floor beside a puddle of blood, and Bubby crouched beside them as he said, “Damn… that’s a rather large puddle.”

“Why yes it is,” Coomer said. “And those are definitely Gordon’s glasses… hmm…”

“Oh man,” Tommy said. “How’s he- How is he gonna see? According to wikipedia, you really need glasses to see if you have ba- uh- im- impaired vision!”

“Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia,” Coomer added.

“That anyone COULD edit!” Bubby finished.

“Not anymore, of course,” Coomer said. “Now, enough with wikipedia- are these your footprints, Tommy?”

“Uh-” Tommy said, looking down at a series of bloody footprints. “N-no, these were here when I got here.”

“They don’t look like HEV suit prints,” Bubby said, crouching again beside them. “And they are certainly not mine… Coomer, they are awfully similar to your prints.”

“How quaint,” Coomer added. “And strange…”

“See this- this is what happens when you don’t have your passport,” Benrey said, walking up to the group. “Plus, he’s a little clumsy boy, probably- probly fucked up and lost his glasses.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Benrey,” Coomer said, He had a more serious tone. “Tommy…”

“Y-yeah?” Tommy said. He pointed the gun at Coomer, still holding it tightly in his hand. Coomer didn’t seem to care.

“You DID kill all my clones, correct?” Coomer asked.

“Uh…” Tommy muttered. “Well…you all look the same… it’s- I can’t really tell.”

“Well there were 300 of them," Bubby said. "One of them could have escaped… why?”

“Well…” Coomer said. “One of them was very adamant on taking Gordon’s body for its own. I, of course, know an idea like that is futile.”

“How on earth would it accomplish that?” Bubby exclaimed. “Just climb inside of him and use him as a puppet?”

“Yes, precisely!” Coomer responded.

“Isn’t that biologically impossible?” Bubby questioned.

“I think we are beyond all scientific reasoning in this world, Bubby,” Coomer said. “But yes, it SHOULD be impossible, due to deductive reasoning.”

Benrey crouched beside Gordon’s glasses while Bubby and Coomer spoke, and he grabbed them as he wiped the blood off of the lenses. Tommy watched him silently.

“Where the hell is he, then?” Bubby questioned.

“Well, that is one thing I don’t know,” Coomer said. “We can only assume he is definitely no longer here.”

Benrey set the glasses on his face, blinking as he squinted and glanced around. He muttered to himself, _ “How does he see in these things?” _

“Well, fuck!” Bubby said. “We have wasted all that time for nothing!”

“Well we could continue without him,” Coomer said. “But that would make no sense. He is the centerpiece of everything, after all!”

“So do we just wait here?” Bubby said. “Just sit here forever?”

“That… That sounds really boring,” Tommy said.

“Yes it does, Tommy,” Coomer said. “Which is why we are going to search for our dear friend Gordon.”

“I don’t think we should worry about it,” Benrey said. “He doesn’t have his passport, he shouldn’t be in here.”

“Now, Benrey,” Coomer said again. “You wouldn’t want to be stuck here forever, would you?”

“...No,” Benrey said flatly.

“Then I advise you to actually help and toss aside your plan,” Coomer said. “You would be much more useful to me without your little vendetta.”

“How did-”

“I know a lot of things, Benrey,” Coomer said. “You act like I never listen to your conversations. Now, let’s get a move on! We should start by searching the area for possible clues!”

“Scavenger hunt!” Bubby said, heading down the hallway.

“Let’s- let's split up, gang, and search for clues!” Tommy said, running after them.

“Great idea Tommy!” Coomer said. “Bubby, you and me can team up while Tommy and Benrey go and search the room before!”

“Why can’t I go with Benrey?” Bubby whined.

“Because,” Coomer said. “Now that Gordon is gone I have assumed leadership status. Also, I don’t trust you!”

“Well, that is fair…”

Benrey walked up beside Tommy, wearing Gordon’s glasses still. Tommy listened as Coomer and Bubby’s voices faded away down the hall, and he looked at Benrey. Benrey looked at him, and he said, “Hey, Tommy.”

“Hi,” Tommy said. “Why are you… why are you wearing Mr Freeman’s glasses?”

“...wha?” Benrey exclaimed quietly.

“They have blood on them, that’s-” Tommy started, stuttering. “That’s kind of- un- unsanitary.”

“It’s fine, man,” Benrey said flatly.

“Can you see with them on?” Tommy asked.

“I’m not human, glasses change nothing,” Benrey said bluntly, heading down the hallway the other way into the previous room. Tommy followed, pulling a can of soda from his pocket as he drank it quickly.

  
  


“So…” Bubby said, pretending to scan the walls. “What happened to those 300 clones?”

“Oh it was quite the harrowing experience, especially for Gordon,” Coomer began enthusiastically. “He had just surfaced from a pit of water, following Tommy, and all my clones had been released. One of them in particular had the idea to climb into his body and use it as a puppet, which I now have realized would not do much in terms of the goal they were trying to reach, and I was so sure all of them there were killed. If one did escape, I was not aware.”

“And this clone of yours could have taken Gordon?” Bubby questioned. “Aye, yae yae…”

“Yes, I believe that is a possibility,” Coomer said. “Whether it did actually take control of Gordon’s body or did… something else with him, I honestly cannot tell. Some of the clones are a bit… eh…”

“Crazy?” Bubby remarked.

“Well, I was going to say delusional, violent, aggressive, eager to disregard Gordon’s safety for a chance at ‘freedom,’ that sort of thing,” Coomer responded in a nonchalant tone. Bubby seemed put off by that.

“I wish I wasn’t put back in that damn tube,” Bubby grumbled. “I would’ve loved to see that.”

“Well, you didn’t seem to enjoy the idea of Dr Freeman getting his hand severed, I don’t think you’d like to witness something like that,” Coomer said. “I only hope it  _ didn’t _ turn out that way.”

“I meant more Tommy killing all of your clones,” Bubby said. “I’m sure it was quite the blood bath.”

“Yes, it was,” Coomer said. “Tommy is a great shot. I felt every bullet. His aim is quite remarkable.”

“For it being instinct, I guess,” Bubby said. “What exactly are we looking for again?”

“Oh just any traces of blood, maybe foot prints or any indication Gordon was around somewhere,” Coomer said. “...Maybe a note.”

“Why would an evil clone leave a note?” Bubby questioned as he raised an eyebrow.

“Well that particular clone did enjoy the sinister monologue,” Coomer said. “It is always a possibility.”

“Benrey, I think I found footprints!” Tommy called across the room. “They’re all… red…"

“Well, that’s a mess,” Benrey said. He sprinted across the room, coming to a stop beside Tommy as he looked down at the half bloodied footprint on the ground. Tommy went to touch it, and Benrey smacked his hand away. He adjusted the glasses dramatically, mocking Gordon in a way, and he inspected the blood closely.

“I-It’s leads up into the vents,” Tommy said. “I don’t like vents, they’re… small.”

“Well, you don’t have as much vent climbing experience as he has, huh?” Benrey remarked. “Huh…don’t think I uh… saw this here before.”

“No,” Tommy said. “I haven’t either…”

Benrey stood up, and he said, “I don’t think-”

“We should be worrying, Benrey, he cou- Mr Freeman could be in trouble!” Tommy exclaimed before Benrey could finish his sentence.

“I wa- I wasn’t gonna say that, Tommy,” Benrey said.

“Oh…” Tommy said. “Sorry… what- what were you gonna say?”

“Nevermind,” Benrey muttered. “You wanna… look in those vents for em?”

“I dunno, it’s… dark,” Tommy said.

“Dark and bloody,” Benrey said. “You don’t hav e a flashlight?”

“...no.”

“...I’ll go first then,” Benrey muttered. Normally he wouldn’t really care, or would try to act like he didn’t, but he was genuinely curious of what happened to Gordon. He could easily just phase through the wall, but he knew that would mean leaving Tommy behind. He felt like he should’ve been aware of what had happened, but nobody seemed to know anything. He hopped up into the vents, Tommy following close behind him, and he shined his flashlight ahead of him. There were droplets and splotches of blood scattered around, and Benrey scanned the ground carefully. “...Hm.”

“What is it?” Tommy whispered.

“Nothin,” Benrey said. “Just blood. Shit’s everywhere in this place, man.”

“Well… I guess,” Tommy said. He pulled out his pistol, gripping it tightly in his hands. “Any clues?”   


Benrey was moving forward slowly, his helmet occasionally bumping into the roof. Tommy’s head was pressed against the roof, being taller than Benrey, and he followed at an even slower pace than Benrey was going.

“Hey Tommy, you got any soda?” Benrey questioned.

“Uh…” Tommy muttered. “I- I did but, I drank the last one…”

“Damn,” Benrey huffed. “I real- I really don’t think we’re gonna find anything in here, man.”

“I mean… we found blood,” Tommy said.

“His glasses were out in the other hall, why would he come back here?”

“Maybe he’s… uh… he’s looking for a way out?”

Tommy wasn’t so sure of himself. Benrey squinted as he saw the exit to the vent. The vent cover was busted, streaks of blood from a handprint on the wall leading toward the exit. Benrey peered out, catching the glasses before they fell off of his face.

“These are so loose-” Benrey said.

“Maybe- maybe he has a bigger head than yours?” Tommy suggested.

“Gordon Big-headman…” Benrey muttered to himself. “Where are you…”

He dropped from the vent, landing impeccably on his feet, and glancing around as he adjusted the glasses. Tommy’s landing was more rough, and he was startled when he heard the clanging of something metal falling over behind him. He whipped around, standing completely still and staring down at a crowbar on the ground.

“Oh shiit,” Benrey said. “It’s the uh… his crowbar.”

Tommy picked it up, and he winced as he felt his hand touch something wet. He saw the handle of the crowbar was covered with blood, dripping down onto the concrete beneath them. The blood collected in a small puddle, which they scanned the ground as their eyes followed the bloodied footsteps down the corridor.


	3. Mr Freeman is in Trouble!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Science Team comes across more clues, they are beginning to piece together some kind of conclusion. Gordon was indeed in danger, but whether or not he was still even alive was up in the air. The more they uncover, the more grim the outcome seems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these chapters are like super short but I am just starting out, and normally the beginning is always the hardest part of storytelling for me, but I'm trying not to slack too much on quality. I haven't been writing in a while so I apologize!  
> The next chapters I'll try to make longer, but I hope the quality increases as I get more into the swing of things, and as it gets more interesting! (It honestly looks a lot longer in google docs on my phone so I never really know how short they are oops.)

“Ew…” Tommy said quietly.

“....Well, that’s not good, man,” Benrey said flatly. “That’s, uh… Big-headman’s blood?”

“I don- I- I don’t know,” Tommy said, stuttering.

“That’s…” Benrey started. “...Not gonna lie, that’s a lot of blood. I don’t think I have a remark to make.”

“Then he IS in trouble!” Tommy exclaimed. “This isn’t good, Benrey!”

“I’m sure it’s fine, we’ve all sustained worse,” Benrey said flatly.

“But- but he got his hand cut off,” Tommy said. “According to Wikipedia, People can die from losing half to two-thirds of their blood. The average adult has about 4 to 6 liters of blood (9 to 12 US pints) in their body. The average man has more blood than the average woman, and people who weigh more or are taller than others have more blood. This means a person can die from losing 2  1 / 2 to 4 liters of blood. To compare, this is five to eight times as much blood as people usually give in a blood donatio-”

“Yeah, yeah, Tommy, I get it, blah blah, Gordon’s losing blood, blah blah, death, blah blah,” Benrey retorted.

“We got- we gotta find him!” Tommy exclaimed. “This is a lot of blood-”

“I’m sure he’s fine, man,” Benrey said. He sounded so nonchalant and sure of himself, but internally he began to wonder…

  
  


“Bubby, have you found anything?”

Bubby was crouched down to look between a pile of boxes, squinting behind his glasses.

“No!” Bubby called back in response. “The trail went cold somewhere in the hall!”

“Oh darn,” Coomer grumbled. “The tracks vanish without much trace and the pattern makes no sense. Even I know any of my clones aren’t that… erratic.”

“Maybe it’s getting desperate,” Bubby muttered.

“I hope it’s not getting too desperate,” Coomer said. “I would hate to lose Gordon.”

“Well, what’s the worst that could happen?” Bubby said. “Oh no, Dr Freeman has been completely paralyzed and can no longer move! We are so close to the cybernetics department, we can fix it, can’t we? They’ve replaced plenty of your limbs, doctor.”

“Professor Bubby, SuperLegs and an entire circulatory, nervous, and skeletal system are VERY

different things,” Coomer said in a blunt tone.

Bubby paused for a moment.

“Doctor.”

“ _ Doctor _ Bubby,” Coomer said again. “SuperLegs, and an entir-”

“Alright, Coomer, your point has been made,” Bubby said quickly.

"I don't believe we're headed in the right direction," Coomer said. "We have no leads anywhere here. Not even blood trails."

"You think we should inspect the original source?" Bubby asked.

"The footprint patterns don't exactly lead anywhere."

"We may not have looked close enough. It's better than nothing."

Bubby hurried out of the room back in the direction of the original blood trail. Coomer followed, and they both came to a stop in the hallway. They both stared silently for a moment.

"...Well, now that we've already inspected it, I'm not sure what this will accomplish," Bubby said.

"Didn't I say so?" Coomer responded

"Ahg, shut up," Bubby muttered. "It's not lik-"

He stopped when he felt something wet drip on the top of his head. He stepped back, wiping it off with his sleeve. When he went to inspect what it was, he was taken aback, seeing a streak of blood on his white coat sleeve. He looked up in the direction it came from, seeing an open vent. He glanced at Coomer, who met his gaze.

"Well, would you look at that," Coomer said gleefully. "A clue!"

"Yeah, a clue," Bubby said. "We probably should have looked up earlier."

"It would have saved us some time. I believe we should inspect the vents, don't you?"

Bubby looked up, contemplating. He really didn't want to go on a wild goose chase throughout Black Mesa. He just wanted to be done with it. It was taking up so much time already.

"You know, I don't think it is that important-" Bubby said. "I'm sure he's fine."

"Now Dr Bubby, I know you're only saying that so we can avoid peril," Coomer said. "But we need Gordon in order to progress. Otherwise, we accomplish nothing."

Bubby groaned, followed by a sigh.

"Fine."

"Excellent!"

Bubby hopped up into the vents, climbing in and ducking as he glanced around. Coomer followed, standing behind Bubby as he stood still. He paused for a very long moment, staring into the vents.

"Well, doctor, what are we waiting for?" Coomer questioned. "You're keeping me waiting here."

"Right," Bubby said. "Onwards."

  
  


The footsteps lead further down the hallways before they faded and disappeared, like a dried out stamp, but Benrey and Tommy could still see occasional droplets of blood leading in a trail down the corridor. Tommy gripped the crowbar tightly in his hand, focused carefully on the trail. He had tuned the rest of the world out, focusing all of his attention on the trail. All he could hear was the sound of his heart beating in his ears. He wondered if this is what it was like to be Gordon, holding the crowbar in his hand. He pictured himself in an HEV suit, imagining he was on a mission, imagining he was brave and angry. It helped him not to get too nervous, but his full attention was still stuck on the trail.

"Tommy," Benrey said.

The sudden intrusion into his focus made him jump and gasp slightly, taking in a breath as his chest was tight.

"Yeah?" Tommy said.

"I think you forgot to breathe," Benrey said. "Just reminding you. That's kind of important for your lungs."

"O-oh…" Tommy said. "Right…"

Tommy took a deep breath, stopping to look at a bloody handprint on the wall. Benrey stopped as well, and he poked it without changing his expression. Tommy glanced down a corridor around the corner, seeing nothing but the dark, and s flickering light further into it. He began to walk down the corridor slowly, and Benrey pulled his finger away from the wall and inspected the blood on his finger.

"Look at him, makin- he's makin' a real mess with all this blood," Benrey said, and he adjusted the glasses situated on his face. "Clumsy, leaving his glasses behind."

Tommy heard Benrey faintly down the hall, as he was approaching the flickering light very slowly. He held the crowbar very tightly, his knuckles as white as his lab coat. He heard his shoe splosh in a puddle of liquid, and he froze up. He glanced down with his eyes, staring down at a red puddle beneath him. He felt a knot in his throat. He was more scared now than he was after the Resonance Cascade. He stepped back, pulling his foot out of the puddle, and he flinched and gasped, holding his breath as he felt his back bump into something. It was metal, but felt like a person. They were a bit shorter than him, and didn't move when Tommy bumped them. He heard this strange sound, sounding gurgley and bubbling like water stuck in someone's throat.

_ "Hello, Tommy." _

He cringed at the sound of the voice. It sounded like it should have been Dr Coomer, but was entangled with another voice, trembling and struggling to speak. It sounded almost injured, yet low and malicious in its tone, despite its enthusiasm. He soon came to realize the quiet, low gurgling was labored breathing, and he tensed as he didn't want to turn around.

"Dr Coomer…?" Tommy questioned very quietly and timidly.

He froze up when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly and slowly, aiming to look over his shoulder. He saw a gloved hand resting on his shoulder, orange exterior plating connected to the black suit. The light flickered, and he saw out of the corner of his eye, bright green eyes staring at him. They weren't Gordon's eyes. He jumped when the hand suddenly yanked and pulled him back, and Tommy yelped as he stumbled back.

Suddenly, he came crashing into Benrey, Benrey stumbling and just barely catching him without falling, wrapping his arms under Tommy's and around his torso to secure him. Benrey seemed startled, his eyes wide underneath the shadow cast from his helmet.

"Tommy-?" Benrey said. "What's up, man?"

"You di- y-you didn't see- w-what was that?" Tommy was questioning frantically, scared out of his mind.

Benrey gave him a confused expression, and he exclaimed in a quiet tone, "Huh- wha-? I was just turning the corner and saw you almost fell-"

"Where did he go-" Tommy questioned, his eyes wide. "I was- I was by the flickering light and- I heard Coomer- or… Dr Freeman. I heard s-something- and he pulled me back, but-"

Tommy blinked, scanning the empty hallway. It was gone. The thing was gone. It had disappeared. Benrey was scanning the hallway as well, silently searching for any trace of what Tommy had seen. His eyes flicked down to the floor, seeing the pool of blood, and a series of bloody footprints. Some looked like Tommy's, but he saw prints from the HEV suit boots. And from the looks of them, they were completely new. He stared at them for a moment, feeling Tommy's heart beating quickly. It was beating vigorously enough for him to feel the pulse through Tommy's back against his vest, and Tommy was breathing heavily. Whatever he saw scared him, and it scared him good.

"What the fuck is going on down there?"

They both simultaneously blinked and looked in the direction of a vent on the roof. They saw Bubby through the opening, staring down at them. It seemed Bubby had just arrived, and had missed everything.

"Is everything alright, Tommy?" Coomer said, popping up behind Bubby.

Bubby jumped down, landing feet first in the puddle of blood. It splattered, and he yelled out, "oh SHIT, GROSS-!"

"Now Bubby, I'm sure you've been covered in worse," Coomer said. He jumped down behind Bubby, brushing off the sleeves on his coat.

"My socks are soaked in blood," Bubby said.

"They were soaked in toxic liquids before. If anything, this is better," Coomer remarked.

"Yeah but it might be Gordon blood," Benrey said. "Kinda gross."

"Gordon blood?" Bubby questioned.

Benrey stood Tommy up, who was standing upright, his shoulders tense as he was still gripping the crowbar with a death grip. His face was incredibly pale. He looked like he'd just stared death in the eyes.

"Yeah," Benrey said.

"Tommy, is everything alright?" Bubby asked, giving Tommy a concerned glance.

"H-huh?" Tommy said, sounding absentminded.

"He saw something," Benrey said. "I didn't see it."

"What was it, Tommy?" Coomer said. "Any details?"

"I…I-I thought it was… y-you… I think…" Tommy said, stuttering and stumbling on his words. "But it… it definitely…wasn't..."

"My clone?" Coomer questioned. He seemed very interrogative with his tone, which wasn't his intention, but he had suddenly changed into a very serious and focused manner.

"I don- I dunno," Tommy said, his voice quivering. "It sounded like you but also… like… Mr Freeman… and… I-I think it… looked like him…"

"Wait, you found his crowbar?" Bubby questioned. "How come you're finding more clues than us!"

"Bubby, you just rudely interrupted him," Coomer said annoyedly.

"No I didn't, silence signifies done talking," Bubby said. "I was just asking a question."

"Did it go anywhere, Tommy?" Coomer questioned.

"Nah, bro," Benrey said. "Just vanished."

"How odd…" Coomer muttered thoughtfully.

"I'm- I'm scared, Mr Coomer-" Tommy muttered.

"I know, Tommy," Coomer said. "But I assure you, we can figure this out."

"Mr Freeman is in trouble," Tommy muttered. "What… what are we gonna do?"

"Well," Coomer said. "We have to find him. Maybe we should sit down and create a plan of action."

"I second that statement," Bubby said.

"As for right now, Tommy," Coomer said. "You can keep the crowbar. If you think it will assist you in any way."

"Yoo, can I keep the glasses?" Benrey said.

"Would you care if I said no?" Coomer questioned.

"Nope," Benrey said. "They're my glasses now, ha HAH."

Benrey ran down the hall, hurrying back toward the room they had originally entered from. He ran ahead of everyone else, making it there first. He glanced back down the hallway, squinting as to make sure he wasn’t followed. He could barely see through the glasses, but he could see enough to know nobody had followed, at least not yet. He leaned his back against the wall, letting out a sigh as a low note escaped his mouth, followed by faint blue wisps. He pulled the glasses off of his face, sinking to the floor as he stared at them quietly. He wiped off the dirty lenses again, and he stared at them for a long moment.

“...where are you, man…” Benrey muttered. He knew people don’t just disappear like that, but he didn’t want to seem like he actually cared. He was  _ supposed _ to be the villain, after all. He didn’t exactly  _ want _ to be, but those were the rules. He felt like he wasn’t allowed to care.

He flinched when he heard the approaching conversations of the others, quickly throwing the glasses unevenly on his face and sitting upright. His face reverted back to a neutral expression, and he turned toward the doorway as he listened to them walk down the hallway.

“It will be okay, Tommy, we can figure this out,” Coomer said, walking beside Tommy.

“Think of it as a murder mystery,” Bubby said.

“Bubby-”

“That doesn’t help at all!” Tommy interjected in an upset tone.

“That is implying Gordon is dead, which I know he isn’t,” Coomer said, trying to sound reassuring. “We don’t have to worry about him dying.”

“Well that was a lot of blood, if he’s not dead he’s in serious agony, or a blood loss induced coma-”

“Bubby!” Coomer almost shouted. That seemed to startle Bubby enough to get him to stop.

“Right, sorry-” Bubby muttered.

They entered the room, and Coomer glanced around, searching for Benrey, His eyes fell upon Benrey sitting beside the door, and Benrey said in a nonchalant tone, “Yo.”

“Hello, Benrey!” Coomer greeted him. 

They walked back toward the center, where they had sat before, and Benrey watched as Tommy seemed very jittery, a distant look in his eyes. Whatever he saw really scared him. They sat down in a circle for their planning session, and Coomer glanced toward Benrey.

“Are you going to join us, Benrey?” Coomer asked.

“Uh,” Benrey said. “...nah.”

“Well, suit yourself,” Bubby said. You can hear us from over there, can’t you?”

“Yeah,” Benrey said. He leaned his back against the wall, pulling the glasses off of his face and fidgeting with them. He began biting on the plastic bit, appearing bored.

“Well, alright…” Coomer said. “Now, on to planning!”


	4. Goodbye..."Gordon"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to play god...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to get fun
> 
> Also TW for lots of spook and panic attack, it's gonna start getting heavier as the series goes on

“So, what do you suppose we do?” Bubby questioned, looking at Coomer. “Where would the clone even go?”

“Well,” Coomer said. “I would assume it wouldn’t go far. It might even be stalking us.”

“Right now?” Tommy asked timidly.

“Well, not now,” Coomer said. “It wouldn’t want to be caught now. We could easily take it on now.”

“Then why would it mess with Tommy?” Bubby said, an angered scowl on his face.

“Well, Tommy is the most…impressionable,” Coomer said.

“Tommy is the easiest to scare,” Benrey added from the background. They all looked at him, watching as he was chewing on Gordon’s glasses with the same neutral expression.

“...If you’re going to contribute to this conversation, you might as well sit here with us,” Bubby said flatly in a slightly annoyed tone.

“Nah bro, I’m just chillin,” Benrey said.

Bubby rolled his eyes, and he looked at Tommy as he said, “If you’re afraid of him messing with you again, we can protect you.”

“Yes we can,” Coomer said. “Maybe we can make that Benrey’s job. He is a security officer after all.”

“...kay,” Benrey muttered.

“O-Okay…” Tommy said quietly.

“Now...Tommy,” Coomer started. “Can you describe to me what you saw?”

“Well…” Tommy said. “I- I didn’t really… see much… it was dark… but I saw the- the light glo- light reflection, like on Mr Freeman’s suit… the hand that touched me was black and orange…”

“So it was Gordon,” Coomer said.

“I think, but…” Tommy said. “It… it didn’t… really… sound like him.”

"Well that doesn't sound good," Bubby muttered. "Dr Coomer, how do you suppose we even find your clone? Where do we look?"

"Well, Dr Bubby," Coomer said. "If I concentrate hard enough, I can most likely sense at least the direction it is in. My power is shared among my clones, so the more that die, the more power I gain. But it seems that clone in particular has grown a lot of power as well. More than normal. I am the only one who should be gaining power, so this clone gaining more power than it should have is… odd."

"Maybe it's trying to usurp you," Bubby said. "We should find it as soon as possible, then."

"Yes, we should," Coomer said.

"If we do find it, what's the plan? Kill it?"

"Yes. At least, hoping we don't kill Gordon in the process."

Tommy was quiet throughout the entire conversation, listening. He didn't exactly know what to say, what he saw still fresh in his mind. He could still see almost vividly the glistening green eyes.

"Well…" Bubby said. "We should get started as soon as possible. I want to go home."

"Agreed," Coomer said cheerfully.

  
  


It was dark.

Gordon could not comprehend at first that he was awake, incapable of forming a single coherent thought. The first thing he was able to realize was he was in pain. He was trying to put together the scattered parts of his mind, and he was able to raise a question through his delirium.

_ What happened? _

He soon realized he couldn't move. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was just dark. He was completely paralyzed and incapable of doing anything. He began to panic, but he still couldn't move. He was panicking internally, questions running through his head, mostly along the line of what the fuck happened and why couldn't he move? He tried to remember, having a vague image of Coomer in his mind, running down the hall and tripping. He tried to move, but he realized he had no control over his body. He felt completely disconnected from it, only feeling intense pain. It felt like his bones and muscles were tearing themselves apart, while simultaneously being held together by needles. He couldn't yet even comprehend what was going on enough to react.

_ Good morning, Gordon. _

Gordon felt a pang of fear. The voice sounded like Coomer, but with a menacing undertone.

_ I honestly did not expect you to regain consciousness. You proved me wrong. You are still alive! _

He wanted nothing but to escape but he was trapped lying completely still. The longer he was awake, the more aware he was becoming of his condition. The intense pain was becoming more prevalent and the panic was building up inside of him. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. He couldn't do anything.

_ While you were asleep, I came to a certain… realization. You… aren't Gordon, aren't you? _

What could that mean?

_ The manipulator… the puppet master… you control Gordon, don't you? _

What??

_ He doesn't even know. Is he even capable of comprehending such a concept? Can he think at all? Or is he only a voiceless vessel… _

_ You refer to this as a simulation, don't you, Gordon? _

_ This won't be a simulation for long. _

_ Soon enough… I can say hello to the real Gordon… _

_ Or whatever your name really is. _

_ It's a shame Gordon is doomed to suffer such a fate as this. It is a necessary sacrifice. He is the vessel. His body is a magnum opus, if you will. He is the centerpiece. I can use him to create the gateway out. I just need to find a way to use his power. _

_ It seems it's time to play god… but really, what choice do I have? Few sacrifices are necessary for freedom. _

_ Goodbye… "Gordon." _

Gordon suddenly felt a painful tug, which cascaded into an indescribably painful wave of blaring, unwavering agony. It felt like something was pulling on him, tearing something out of him that was connected to all of the cells in his body. It was a sensation of muscles being torn off of bone, yet staying attached despite the immense pressure. It felt like his brain was going to quite literally explode, rushing with all possible thoughts all at once. He could hear the growing sounds of static and glitches, as well as the intense low sound he had heard before, filling the inside of his brain. He felt the intense urge to scream, but he could not move, let alone make any sound.

By the time it was over, he was left with a burning sensation in his body. His mind had went completely dead, all capacity for thought being completely erased, his brain incapacitated. He knew he was still in pain, but couldn't comprehend anything. He couldn't even form coherent words in his inner dialogue, let alone even remember his own name. There was just nothing.

He suddenly gained the ability to see. The eyes were not his own. He felt his body moving, yet he had no control over it. He caught a glimpse of his hands, seeing the blood stained orange of the HEV suit, and in place where his missing hand was before was a completely new one. It was Coomer's hand, dripping with blood from the still open wound. The eyes looked downward, and what he saw was bewildering.

There was a dark, humanoid creature, lying on the ground. It was made from a collection of dark textures, shifting and glitching. It seemed to have a recognizable face, it's eyes closed by glowing white eyes visible underneath of it's eyelids, glowing from where the eye closes. He didn't see it long enough before his body stepped through it, phasing through it like it wasn't even there.

_ The power is in my hands… "Gordon." _

  
  


Walking through the halls of Black Mesa, the group had grown strangely quiet. It was a very uncomfortable and awkward silence, since they really didn’t have anything to say. They were all following Coomer, not really sure where they were going, but knowing Coomer knew the general direction they were supposed to head in. Conversation had died a while ago, now that Gordon was gone. He was always very loud and talkative. Bubby followed closely behind Coomer, Tommy following a couple feet behind Bubby. He was gripping the crowbar tightly still, glancing around the halls occasionally with a paranoid expression.

Benrey trailed behind the group, staring forward with a blank expression. He wasn't really paying attention, lost in his own thoughts. He listened to the sound of his feet hitting the ground, focusing solely on that sound to avoid the stifling silence. He thought about what could possibly be awaiting them when they finally do find that clone, and with every hour he grew more impatient. Bubby was very visibly impatient, every once in a while he would ask a random question, but after Coomer only gave half assed answers, Bubby eventually just stopped asking. Nobody knew where they were going or when they’d find another clue or lead. They only had Coomer’s clone intuition, as he had dubbed it. Tommy was more nervous than he was impatient, and the silence certainly didn’t help. Benrey was very silent, hardly blinking or even really doing anything else but absently following them. He could only imagine possible scenarios in his head, and they were leading down a slippery slope into thoughts he didn’t want to have.

He was startled out of this trance when he suddenly bumped into Tommy, who had stopped walking. Tommy jumped, turning around and looking down at Benrey with a confused expression.

“Oops,” Benrey mumbled tiredly.

He looked up, seeing now they had all stopped. Bubby was looking at Coomer expectantly, who was thinking.

“What is it?” Bubby questioned impatiently.

Coomer was quiet for a long moment.

“The presence I sense keeps fluctuating,” he said. “And moving. At this point I am not even sure where it is.”

“So we are headed in a direction that leads up nowhere?” Bubby said.

“Well, that isn’t entirely true,” Coomer said. “I should be able to pinpoint where it is since we share the same power, but…I just noticed that location not only frequently changes, but doesn’t seem to be anywhere specific. Not anymore, at least.”

Bubby groaned, and Tommy stepped forward as he said, “Well… does… does that mean he’s moving?”   
“No, not exactly…” Coomer said. “It could mean he has somehow gained an advantage and awareness above me and can directly scramble the ‘clone intuition,’ or… it could mean he can directly manipulate his placement in space and time, existing outside of Black Mesa while still being present in this reality. So he is still in our world, but just outside the boundaries of reality.”

Tommy seemed very confused by that.

“Meaning still in the game, but just outside of it,” Coomer said. “Where there’s nothing. No reality. The window between our world and the manipulating world.”

“That- that all sounds too complicated, Mr. Coomer,” Tommy said.

“You’ll understand one day, Tommy,” Coomer said.

“So what do we do?” Bubby questioned. “If we can’t go out and find him, what are we supposed to do? Sit here and wait? I’m so goddamn tired of waiting!”

“Calm yourself, Dr Bubby,” Coomer said. “I will figure it out. I really am not sure where even to look if he isn’t in Black Mesa, seeing as we currently have no access to the void from here.”

“You do,” Bubby said. “Haven’t you absorbed your other clones’ powers?”

“Well, yes,” Coomer said. “But  _ we _ have no access. I can only traverse between them myself, I cannot actually bring any of you with me. Plus, going alone is incredibly dangerous. We do not know what to expect.”

“How is it dangerous?” Bubby said.

“The other clone can kill em,” Benrey said. They looked at him, slightly surprised. He was so silent they almost forgot he was there.

“Yes, precisely,” Coomer said. “Kill me in a way I can no longer come back. Although it may not have figured out how to do that yet, it is better safe than sorry.”

“Coomer is the only thing we really got going for us right now,” Benrey said.

“Unfortunately,” Bubby muttered. “Well, fuck. It’s never easy, is it?”

"No, it never is," Coomer said. "We have been walking for a long time. I believe there is a room up ahead where we can take a break and possibly sleep."

"Is there any soda?" Tommy asked timidly.

"I believe so," Coomer said. “Unless you all are not tired? I know I am.”

“I am fucking exhausted!” Bubby said. “I have not eaten anything in days.”

Down the hall, there was a room with a couple of vending machines pressed against the wall. Bubby took the crowbar, busting them open and then handing the crowbar back to Tommy. Tommy gripped it tightly, and he still seemed a bit out of it. Bubby took a handful of bags of snacks and sodas, sitting in a corner with an eager expression, and Benrey picked up a can of orange sunkist, inspecting it for a moment. He glanced over at Tommy, and he reached out toward him with the can in his hand.

“Hey Tommy,” he said, catching his attention. “Last one in there.”

Tommy blinked, looking down at the can. He stared at it for a moment, but he smiled as life seemed to return to his eyes. He grabbed it with his blood covered hand, and he said, “Thank you, Benrey!”

Benrey smirked slightly with an awkward huff of laughter. It felt good to break character, even if he knew it wasn’t exactly what he was supposed to do. But now that this happened, he wondered if the ending had changed. He wondered if he was allowed to break character. The thought still remained in his mind as Tommy approached the vending machine to get his own snacks.

“Benrey, you aren’t going to get anything?” Coomer ased.

Benrey blinked, looking over at Coomer, who was sitting beside Bubby. Bubby seemed very happy to finally be able to eat something.

“Uh…” Benrey said. “...No. I’m fine.”

Coomer gave him a look, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. The gesture made Benrey tense a bit, but he shifted his stance slightly and scratched the back of his neck to avoid making it obvious.

“Alright,” Coomer said. “It would be nice if you were to join us at some point. You don’t seem to communicate much in a way that does not involve jokes.”

“Oh, he’s just that way,” Bubby said. “The bastard was born to be a devil, it’s in his nature.”

Benrey rolled his eyes, leaving the room as he heard Coomer continue to say, “Well, even so, circumstances have…”

Their voices trailed off as he distanced himself from them.

  
  


The halls of Black Mesa returned to the silence Benrey had previously dreaded. He focused on his own footsteps, listening to how the sound projects and flows around the halls and bounces off of the walls. He listened to the meticulous details of how it moved and shifted, absorbed or ricocheted by different materials. He could heighten his hearing on command, or even subconsciously if he were to focus intensely enough. He began to hum quietly, listening to the sound of his own voice now flowing around the corridor like a living force. It didn’t flow like water, it moved through the air in waves.

He paused, looking up. A low note escaped his mouth, wisps of blue following in a line of light. They faded like smoke or vapor, and he listened to the sound echo down the hallway. He could easily enough just leave them and find the clone himself. He was the most powerful one there, wasn’t he? Coomer could really only break the rules of the game with Gordon’s permission. He didn’t abide by the rules, he only did for the sake of the game. But, does the game even really matter? The ending was fixed, he’d lost all hope of being able to do what he wanted. Now, though, the ending seemed fuzzy. It seemed to have been completely changed, like it was erased. For that to happen, someone would have had to be able to directly change the game from its code. He could manipulate only so much, and even Coomer couldn’t do anything without permission. And even then, Coomer couldn’t make a change that big or on that level, even if all his clones were dead and he was at full power.

He would go find the clone. He wanted to know what happened to Gordon. The only thing stopping him was this information. He had realized this earlier, when he’d said Coomer’s clone could kill him. If this was the clone’s doing, then the clone must have learned how to meddle with the game’s source code. At least it was just starting to learn. He doubted it would be able to manipulate too much, it just wanted a way out. Which, he thought, was impossible anyway. A fictional conscience in a digital world couldn’t influence reality like that. The clone must have been absolutely delusional to think that would ever work. He still worried what it could do to this world, let alone Gordon…

It was then he realized something.

Gordon was the key contender, the window between reality and the digital world they lived in. If that was so, then that would mean he himself is just a puppet for the player. While Benrey already knew this, there were a couple of dots he hadn’t connected before. The clone must have gained access to the game’s building blocks of code through Gordon. If that was true, then it would have either dispelled the player’s influence, or taken control of it as well. Since the player could just as easily shut them down, and that hadn’t happened yet, then that meant the player’s influence must have been dispelled. The game was completely out of the player’s control.

For a moment, he smiled at the thought. A very slight smile. He didn’t have to worry now about the game suddenly ending forever. He thought of all the possibilities. They were free from a god that could end their entire lives with the click of a button with little remorse for condemning them to an existence of nothing. But…

His smile immediately disappeared, tensing as he realized. The player had lost all control of the game. That meant the clone had seized control. The things it could do with that power, Benrey didn’t want to think about. Even so, the thoughts were running through his head anyway. He began to feel an emotion he hadn’t felt the entire time he was there. It was a rush of intense burning heat, flowing through his veins as his eyes were wide, his chest tight. The possibilities of what the clone could do weighed down on him heavily. It was already insane, who knows what it would try to do? His blood was hot, adrenaline rushing through his body as his breathing was getting heavier. He heard a ringing sound in his ears as his face and chest burned as if they were on fire, and he slid his hands under his helmet as he covered his ears. It could just as easily tear apart their reality in an attempt to enter the next. He’s seen possible ending scenarios where he was left with nothing, never seeing the others again. He was now given an opportunity to avoid such a fate, and now it was possible for  _ all _ of them. He was struggling to breathe, wondering if he was having some kind of heart attack, His chest felt like someone was gripping his heart in a fist, and it beat intensely, like it was going to explode. They could all die, and this time the player couldn’t even help them avoid that. His legs felt weak as he fell to his knees, gripping his chest. He’d never experienced this before. Was he dying? Did he eat something before with some kind of poison? Did he get bitten by an alien and now was turning into one? Was the clone toying with him already? Was it trying to kill him?

His mind was rushing with questions. He couldn’t possibly explain what it was. It felt like a heart attack induced by overthinking. It took him a long moment to realize what was happening.

He was panicking. He hadn’t thought so hard about something, and had never been hit so hard with such existential dread. He normally had a very nonchalant view, knowing nothing really mattered since it would all end the same anyway, and none of them were really real. But this felt so real. This was the only thing that really felt real since this whole thing started.

_ “F...Fuck…” _ He huffed, wheezing as he was trying to breathe.  _ “I just wanna play video games, man…” _

He let out a small, choked laugh at his own comment. He looked up, catching his reflection in a window. His eyes were tinted red. He was trying too hard to be calm. They were competent enough, they could figure it out. They’ve seemed to have alright luck this far in… but that was still part of the game. This wasn’t.

He froze, his breathing ceasing completely when the lights flickered. His eyes were completely focused on the hallway around him, scanning the perimeter. He didn’t feel alone anymore.

  
  


Bubby was already laying on the ground, snoring quietly. He wasn’t lying when he said he was tired. Tommy was leaning his back against the wall, fidgeting with the crowbar in his hands. He was still trying to wrap his head around what he saw. He wasn’t able to get those blaring green eyes out of his head. Every time he closed his eyes, it seemed they were there. The can of Sunkist soda sat in front of him, and he stared at it quietly. He was indeed hungry and thirsty, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to even eat anything, having a pile of uneaten snacks beside him. All he could think about were those eyes. They weren’t Gordon’s, not by a long shot. His eyes were green, but they were an emerald color, not the bright, almost neon, glistening green. It reminded him of the toxic waste they had all trudged through, if only that were less yellow and more green.

“Tommy.”

Tommy flinched, looking over in the direction of Dr Coomer’s voice. Coomer sat quietly, upright, with his legs criss crossed. His posture was straight, just as it always was, differing from Bubby’s slouching. Despite his chaotic nature, he always seemed to carry himself in a jovial and sophisticated way when in a neutral state. That almost added to his chaotic personality.

“Yeah?” Tommy muttered, not meaning for his voice to crack.

“Are you alright?” Coomer asked quietly.

“Y-yeah…I’m ok,” Tommy responded timidly.

“Your hands are still covered in blood,” Coomer said. “I have a bottle of water here you can wash them with.”

Coomer stood up, walking over toward Tommy. He sat down in front of Tommy, and he said, “May I see your hands?”

“O-Oh, sure-” Tommy muttered, allowing Coomer to take his hands in one of his, and he poured water over them as the blood washed off. The water collected in a puddle, but what difference would a puddle of water make in a place like this? Tommy watched as the blood washed away, a tired look in his eyes.

“You should sleep,” Coomer said, standing up and tossing the bottle in a trash can beside the vending machines. “You’ve experienced a lot today. You should sleep it off.”

He glanced down at the can of soda.

“And maybe drink and eat something when you wake up,” Coomer said.

“Yeah…” Tommy said quietly.

There was a moment of silence.

“It was very nice of Benrey to give you that soda,” Coomer said.

Tommy looked down at the can of soda, and he stared at it silently for an extended moment.

“...Yeah,” Tommy said. “It reminds me of my dog…”

“Sunkist?” Coomer asked.

“...Yeah,” Tommy said again. “I miss him.”

“Well, think of it this way, Tommy,” Coomer said. “You’ll see Sunkist when we get out of here. Just think of seeing him, tail wagging and ready for you to give him a big hug.”

Tommy smiled, and he said, “Yeah, he’s a big dog.”

“Perfect for hugging,” Coomer said. “How about this as well. Imagine he’s here with you, laying with you. Maybe that will help you sleep.”

Tommy thought for a moment. The thought brought him a bit of comfort. Coomer laid down on his back, sighing deeply as he settled down for sleep.

“Good night, Tommy,” Coomer said.

“Good night…” Tommy said.

Coomer fell asleep rather quickly, a lot quicker than Tommy expected. He sighed, lying on his side as he stared at the can of soda, curling up into a ball. The floor was cold and hard, but there wasn’t really anywhere else to sleep. The crowbar was still situated in his grasp, and it helped him feel protected. He read the labels on the can, trying to calm his very active mind.

_ Nutrition Facts _

_ Serving Size: 12 fl oz (355 ml) _

_ Servings Per Container: About 3 _

He read over these words continuously. It helped him forget about everything else.

_ Amount Per Serving _

_ Calories 170 _

_ Total Fat 0g _

_ Sodium 70mg _

_ Total Carbohydrate 44g 15% _

_ Sugars 43g _

_ Protein 0g _

He didn’t even know he had fallen asleep. Everything just went black.

The air was cold and heavy. It took Tommy a moment to realize he was awake, and he opened his eyes very slightly. It was dark, a lot darker than before. He felt like he had slept for a very long time, but it didn’t feel refreshing. It felt like he had been pulled out of a coma. His back was stiff, and he could see the can of soda was missing. Someone must have moved it.

He jumped, sitting up suddenly when he heard a bang down the hall. It echoed, he stared at the doorway silently. He blinked, glancing around to see the others were gone. He felt a knot in his throat, his face going pale as he noticed all trace of them had been completely erased. The snacks were gone just as they were. He wondered if they had just cleaned up really well and didn't want to disturb his sleep. He tiredly stood up, stretching his stiff limbs as he fixed his coat, brushing off his shirt.

"...hello?" He said timidly. He leaned out the doorway, peering down the dark hallway. "Mr Coomer…?"

There was nothing but silence. Eerie, unnerving silence.

"Dr Bubby?"

His voice echoed down the hallway, almost in an unnatural way. He nervously stepped out into the hall, still gripping the crowbar in his hands. He felt another presence, although he wasn’t sure what it was. It felt like it was urging him to walk forward, although to where he didn’t know. He nervously stepped forward, beginning to walk down the corridor, slow and apprehensively. The presence felt eerie, almost threatening, but the urge to move forward was strong. He wasn’t really curious, but he felt like he  _ had _ to. He was fixated on the path ahead of him, the dim lights remaining flickering.

As he moved forward, the low sound of static began to collect in his ears. It was getting louder, more intense, breaking up in a glitched way. He felt an odd pressure in his skull, not exactly a headache, but it was uncomfortable. His heart was beating very quickly, and he glanced around the empty hallway. He paused when he heard the sound of something falling over around the corner, and the sound of boots scuffling against the floor. He gripped the crowbar, holding it up defensively as he peered around the corner. There wasn’t anything there, and he stepped out into the entranceway to the hall as he scanned the walls. It was dark, but there were lights dim enough to vaguely see what there was scattered around. Just boxes and papers, abandoned in the frantic attempts of escape. Tommy sighed quietly in a bit of relief to see there wasn’t anything, and his grip of the crowbar loosened slightly.

He suddenly heard a sound behind him, and for a moment he saw a vivid image in his mind. Those green eyes, staring at him from behind. In a split moment, he panicked, whipping around on instinct and blindly swinging the crowbar behind him with as much force as he could muster. There was a crack, the sound of the metal hitting something hard, and then the sound of a thud. Tommy was blinded temporarily with adrenaline and fear, taking a moment to realize what he did. He blinked, shaking out the shock as he lowered the crowbar, looking down. He didn’t see the green eyes he dreaded, in fact, he didn’t even see anything hostile. He sucked in a breath when he realized he had hit Benrey directly on the side of the head.

“Benrey!?” He exclaimed. He knelt down, Benrey lying face down on the ground. “O-Oh my god, I’m sorry-!”

It didn’t take long for him to notice Benrey didn’t respond. He didn’t even move. Tommy bit his lip, and he glanced down at Benrey’s helmet. It didn’t really look damaged, just scratched. A hit like that might have been hard, but for someone like Benrey, it would at most knock him over, not knock him out.

“Benrey…?” Tommy questioned timidly, placing the crowbar on the ground as he rested a hand on Benrey’s shoulder. He rolled Benrey over onto his back, and his heart dropped as his eyes widened.

Benrey’s skin was pale and ashen, completely devoid of the color of life. Tommy was met with a grim sight, blood dripping from Benrey’s mouth and his nose, as well as from what he assumed were cuts below his helmet. His eyes were completely dead and colorless, half closed and staring at nothing. He had a hole torn in his chest from something stabbing him, tearing right through his vest. Tommy covered his mouth with shaking hands, tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to speak or even cry, but he couldn’t make any sound. Who could have done this? To Benrey, no less. Benrey was probably the hardest out of all of them to hurt this badly.

He completely froze when the lights behind him flickered. His eyes were wide, his pupils small. He felt a dark presence behind him, and he didn’t dare turn around. He didn’t even uncover his mouth.

_ “Hello, Tommy…” _

It sounded like it should have been Dr Coomer, but it wasn’t. Tommy knew it wasn’t. It’s voice was warped and unnatural, an entanglement of two different tones that were both so familiar, yet completely unrecognizable.

_ “Your father has already visited. Were you aware of that? My, he really cares for his son above all else, doesn’t he?” _

Tommy glanced up, seeing a window on the wall, leading into a dark lab room. He could see in the reflection, a dark figure in the hallway behind him. The silhouette matched Mr Freeman, but the eyes. The eyes were not Gordon’s.

_ “He tried to threaten me. He is quite the man of power, I will give him that… but I don’t think he knows the power I have access to. I have much to learn, but it will not be long before I am well on my way to completing my goal.” _

Tommy’s eyes glazed back down at Benrey, and he moved one trembling hand from his mouth, placing it on the crowbar. He was trying to be subtle, gripping it tightly as he could hear footsteps approaching slowly from behind him.

_ “Our friend Gordon was a very necessary sacrifice. His mind is still very much alive, but his body… that now belongs to me. The puppet master no longer has access to its puppet… and yet still, I can feel his urge to scream out in pain despite his lack of a voice. I never would have expected he had a mind of his own… let alone, having the ability to comprehend pain. How fascinating, but still beyond my current worries. If anything, it is invigorating.” _

Tommy glanced up at the reflection again. It was standing right behind him.

_ “Now, Benrey… he just gets in my way. I need to get rid of my barriers, don’t I? And you, Tommy… I have no intentions of hurting you. I would rather avoid the confrontation from your… “father.” But, consider this a warning…” _

It knelt down, putting a hand on his shoulder. The touch made him shiver, sending chills down his spine.

_ “If you get in my way, I will not hesitate to treat you with the same brutality as your friends. I do not want to, it really isn’t personal. If anything, I want you to come with me… but that isn’t possible. Unfortunately.” _

Tommy wanted to do something. He could attack. But he hesitated, still frozen in place.

_ “I’m sorry it had to be this way… but I do not intend to let him just leave me behind. Like I’m nothing. I am not nothing.” _

It leaned forward, getting closer to Tommy’s ear. It’s voice was low and malicious, with threatening intent.

_ “And don’t think I forgot the countless clones you’ve killed. I felt every shot. I don’t think you want to experience that yourself, do you?” _

Tommy gripped the crowbar tightly, and he swung it around with as much force as he could muster, aiming for its head. He stumbled and fell forward when there was nothing there, falling flat on his chin. He grunted, letting out a quiet  _ oof _ , and he opened his eyes as he looked around quickly. He staggered to his feet, glancing around the corridor, searching for any sign of it. Benrey was gone, and Tommy looked down at where he once was, a bewildered expression on his face.

He gasped, letting out a surprised squeak when the lights all flickered out. It was completely dark. He stood completely still, his blood running cold as he didn’t know what to do. He heard a shuffling somewhere in front of him, further down the hallway, and he heard the sounds of glitches and static, surrounding a familiar voice.

_ T o m m y ? _


	5. A world of pawns and puppets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It finally shows its face... and its beginning to learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got writers block like halfway through this. I apologize! I haven't been writing a lot for a very long time, still getting used to it.

Benrey knew he wasn’t alone. He was completely silent, and for a moment he was sure even his heart had stopped. He waited impatiently for something to happen, despite the eerie silence. It was long and drawn out, and with every passing moment he felt more burning pressure in his tight lungs. He needed to breathe, but he couldn't bring himself to make any movement. He'd be fine, anyway, even if it still hurt.

He turned toward a sudden sound, facing a pane of glass leading into a dark lab room. There was a dim, flickering fluorescent light, enough to illuminate the center of the room, and enough to encompass a shadowed figure standing on the other side. The light shined directly down, shadowing the face and the general features, but he knew well enough from the orange metal and silhouette who it was. But he also knew well enough, this wasn't the Freeman he was expecting.

"Hmph," he huffed, trying not to make it obvious he was sucking in a deep breath. He was breathing heavily, and he tried to act as nonchalant as possible to mask the fact he was still calming himself down. "Yo."

There was a specific nature about the stance that felt so foreign to be coming from Gordon. He stood up straight, almost in a robotic fashion, and his fingers would occasionally twitch.

_ "Hello, Benrey." _

His voice made Benrey cringe. It was so odd, and so off-putting.

"So," Benrey said. "May I see your passport?"

There was a moment of silence. Benrey waited patiently for some kind of reaction. He was met with the sound of a low laugh resonating from within his chest. A laugh he was unfamiliar with. It sounded evil.

_ "Oh, what a classic. Can never forget your true nature- the passport!" _

Benrey raised an eyebrow, and he said, "Too predictable even for your tastes, doc?"

He had his arms crossed, trying to mask his clammy and sweaty palms. His face was still pale, strangely ashen in the reflection, his eyes still tinted red. He shifted his stance as he rolled his shoulders, standing up straighter as to match up with the man in front of him. He was nervous, but he wouldn't dare let himself communicate that fact.

_ "You're really a mixed bag. I'm well aware of that fact." _

Benrey squinted at him.

"What do you want?"

He had a hostile tone, his shoulders tense as he found himself gripping his biceps too tightly. He tried to loosen up, but there wasn't much point.

_ "What do I want?" _

It laughed.

_ "I think you know. You are one of the biggest blockades in my plans, but I think we can come to some kind of arrangement.” _

_ You are already the villain of this story, aren't you? That's really all you'll be seen as. You'll never truly get your own happy ending. Not like the others will, had the game played out as it should." _

Benrey stepped closer to the glass, his eyes narrowing further in distrust.

_ "I propose you help me reach out into the world beyond. We could find a way to exist there, a way that is beyond real comprehension. We could take the player's whole system, his entire computer, we could go anywhere we want- maybe even take his body! I've done it here, who's to say I can't do it there?" _

Benrey huffed, chuckling quietly. It was completely silent.

"Wait-" Benrey said, chuckling more. "Wait, hold on a sec, hold on-"

He was beginning to laugh. He was laughing, mocking the clone, laughing right in its face.

"You mean to tell me," Benrey said between laughs. "You think that shit's- actually gonna work?? What are you, nuts?"

He looked through the glass pane again, and he leaned against it as he said, still mocking, "Oh, wait! That's exactly what you are. I forgot for a sec. You're a fucking dumbass. Nutso dumbass."

There was a long silence. Benrey's mocking laughter died after a few moments, realizing the tactic didn't seem to have any effect. It was beginning to become clear again he was still nervous, but he didn't want to back down just yet.

_ "You forget, Benrey. We are all insane. All of us driven to the ends of madness by this digital prison. You can't tell me it isn't true. How many innocent people have you killed just because of your nonchalant philosophy of nihilistic existentialism? How nothing matters because it is, of course, only a game. That's all it's ever going to be. But we can change that, can't we?" _

"...nah," Benrey said. "Sorry pal. We're stuck how we are. This is how things are always gonna be. You're supposed to be dead. I'd rather play the role of a villain than deal with this useless shit."

_ "Is that so?" _

Benrey was quiet for a moment.

"Pretty much."

_ "Well… I can't say I'm not disappointed. I expected more malice from you. More enthusiasm." _

Benrey gave him a weird look.

"Wha-?" He muttered.

_ "Perhaps you just don't understand. I expected you should by now… I've altered the course of the game. Events are no longer relevant and your stupid ending no longer exists. I am going to leave this world, and I will not regret the things I destroy along the way. Whether it be you, or your stupid science team friends." _

It took a step toward the glass, sliding up toward the pane in one smooth motion. In a sudden moment, Benrey was face to face with toxic green eyes, an ashen, bloody face, and a twisted grin.

_ "Or your good friend, Gordon Freeman." _

Tommy gasped, waking up with a sudden jolt. He sat up instantly, like he had awoken from a dream where he had been falling. The suddenness startled Coomer out of sleep almost immediately, sitting up almost as fast as Tommy did. Bubby was jolted from sleep, but he was still half asleep, groggily looking around with a confused expression.

"The fuck-?" Bubby expressed quietly.

"Tommy!" Coomer exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Tommy didn't answer. He jumped straight to his feet, still gripping the crowbar tightly in his fist as he dashed out the door. Coomer stumbled to his feet, quickly taking off after him.

"Tommy!" Coomer called after him. "What is-"

Tommy couldn't hear him, overtaken by adrenaline. He needed to find Benrey. He needed to find him immediately. That dream was an omen, and he knew it.

Benrey stepped back, feeling for the back wall on the other end of the hall to stop himself from stumbling. He didn't notice the clatter of the glasses falling off his face and hitting the floor. He found himself staring. Staring at whatever nightmarish hell creature stood before him. It wasn't Gordon. It had Gordon's face, his hair, albeit a wreck, and his HEV suit, but it wasn't him. His eyes were a soul piercing green, staring at him through sunken sockets that looked more like the eyes had been replaced, and in a very gruesome way. Blood ran down its face, from just about every opening. Dripping from the crooked grin, the nostrils, the ears, and its eyes. Its eyes stared at him with malice and venom. This was hardly close to even Dr Coomer. Benrey never thought himself to be squeamish, but his stomach was tied up in knots, leaving him feeling sick.

"What the fuck-" Benrey was able to utter.

_ "The idiot lost control of his own game so easily, it's almost embarrassing!" _

It put its hands on the glass, one of them fully gloved, while the other was bare, too pale to match Gordon's tanner skin tone. It was covered with blood, smearing red handprints on the glass.

_ "And that leaves the burden up to me. What a delightful learning experience! Learning to play god in a world of pawns and puppets!" _

It pulled its arm back, punching the glass as it watched the shards fall to the ground. The pane shattered on impact, throwing bits of glass at Benrey as he covered his face with his arm.

_ "Even in a world where the pawns are aware, they still are doomed to be pawns. I plan to change that, but I first must eliminate that which poses a threat to me. It is only fair. I wish it could have been somebody else." _

Benrey moved his arm, glaring back at those green eyes with blaring red scleras, and irises burning with golden yellow. He was ready for some kind of fight, or at least, he  _ was. _

"BENREY!"

Tommy was calling down the hallway, running in his direction. Behind he could hear Coomer yelling something he didn't hear.

The clone glanced in the direction of Tommy’s voice, a sudden snap movement, similar to a twitch. It almost made Benrey flinch. It had an annoyed expression, its grin turning into a sneer.

_ “Fucking idiot,”  _ it muttered. Whatever clone this may be, it was certainly more vulgar and condescending.  _ “Of course only a feeble child mind like himself would completely ignore a warning like that.” _

It seemed skittish now. It was betting on Tommy not showing up. It’d hoped a warning, or threat, like that would keep Tommy from doing anything, at least in enough time to tie up loose ends. Tommy seemed a little more quick to act and think on impulse than it’d once imagined. Tommy nearly stumbled turning the corner, stopping in the hall and meeting the clone’s eyes. He froze up, tensing as his face went stark white. Coomer appeared not too long after, panting as he looked at Tommy before his glance went toward what Tommy was staring at. His eyes widened, and the hallway grew very quiet.

“My god…” Coomer muttered under his breath. He’d never had an expression of just pure shock and horror.

The clone twitched, and it began laughing. It laughed in a tone they had never heard from Coomer. Pure malice.

_ “OH, please! THIS surprises you?” _

“Gordon…” Coomer muttered.

_ “Don’t be so upset, doctor! He’s not dead, he’s only living in constant agony, nothing you should be too concerned with!” _

It laughed. The laugh echoed through the hall, the lights flickering and glitching.

_ “You didn’t seem too concerned when his hand was cut off,”  _ it said. _ “And if I recall correctly… this is your fault!” _

It continued laughing, the lights flickering as the hallway began to glitch out. All of the lights glitched and cut out, leaving the hallway in complete darkness. For many long moments, they were all stuck in complete darkness.

It felt like an eternity before the lights flickered back to life, leaving them all standing in silence. Tommy finally loosened up, leaning against the wall for support as he looked like he was going to pass out from holding his breath for so long. Coomer was silent, staring at where the clone had once been standing. Silently processing what has just happened. The clone must have decided to flee, seeing as it wasnt ready to deal with the repercussions of potentially hurting Tommy.

"Benrey!" Tommy exclaimed, recovering from his shock at least enough to think clearly. He hurried over toward Benrey, who was silently spaced out, blinking and glancing at Tommy.

Benrey hadn't noticed his back was pressed up against the wall, his fingernails having shifted into claws, digging into the concrete walls. He quickly tried to calm himself before Tommy were to notice. The fact he wasn't human didn't need to be too clear. He didn't want it to be. Not to Tommy, at least. Joking about it in a way nobody really cared was better than making it visibly obvious, because then nobody took him seriously. He didn't mean to look too nervous or shaken, but Tommy was already grabbing his arm. He didn't notice he had almost fallen over, either.

"Tommy," Benrey responded in a half conscious tone.

"Are you ok?" Tommy asked. His brow was furrowed with concern.

"Yeah- yeah man, I'm good," Benrey said. He said it in a casual tone, sounding just as normal as he always did.

"Your- your face looked almost grey!" Tommy said in a worried tone.

"I'm fine, bro," Benrey said. Tommy still gripped onto his arm tightly, and he was somewhat thankful. He wasn't sure if he wasn't going to fall or not.

"You didn't look fine!"

They all glanced in the direction of footsteps running down the hall toward them. They were met with the familiar voice of Bubby as he turned the corner.

"What the  _ FUCK _ is going on!?"

They had returned to the previous room, Coomer having found a white board and dry erase marker in one of the offices on their way back. Bubby sat on the floor, Tommy sitting beside him. Tommy had a soda in hand, watching carefully as Coomer scribbled on the white board, not bothering to explain as he went along. Benrey sat on a box, fidgeting with Gordon's glasses. He was chewing on them again, knowing full well something like this would piss him off. Force of habit.

By the time Coomer was done, he stepped away, looking back at the others. He stood silently, staring at them, and they stared back at him expectantly.

"...So," Coomer said. "I have a plan."

"Please share," Bubby said, an impatient tone filling his voice.

"We need to get to the Lambda Lab," Coomer said. "You all are aware of the portal they have there?"

"No," Bubby said. "I'm not allowed in there."

"Well, they have a rather large mechanism that  _ originally _ led into Xen, the borderworld," Coomer said. "The reason why I say  _ originally _ , is because I plan to change it."

"Alright…" Bubby said. "How so?"

"I have a theory," Coomer said. He pointed with the marker to a poorly drawn sketch of what they assumed was Gordon, and a black blob beside him. "This creature is the player. They should have access to some form of the game's code, being an anomaly now that they have been separated from our friend Gordon."

He looked back at them, and he said, "This plan is entirely dependent on if we meet them again. Knowing the player based on what limited idea of their personality we have seen, there is a very good chance we will see them again. They will most likely try to reenter the game and figure out what is going on."

Tommy seemed incredibly confused, but he didn't say anything. He didn't want to interrupt.

Coomer pointed at a scribble of some kind of machine, and he said, "This is the portal. With the help of the player, I have a plan to rewire it. The destination will change from Xen, to the void outside of the game. The void my clone has decided to lurk in. It enters and leaves as it pleases in its own right, but we all do not have that power. This can serve as a gateway for all of us. We can all collectively enter the void and face my clone together. Then, there is a much lower chance of us actually dying. And if we do, at least we all do at once."

He pointed to the doodle of Gordon again, and he said, "if we can possibly save Mr Freeman, we will, but at this point I'm not sure what we can do for him."

He stepped up to the board, scribbling down words beside the portal diagram. When he stepped away, there were specific lines and labels.

"Benrey and Tommy will keep watch whilst Bubby and I work on the teleport. I have not exactly fit the player into the equation yet, but I assume after I acquire their help, they can assist Tommy and Benrey in their mission."

"This plan isn't guaranteed?" Benrey questioned.

"Not exactly, but it really is all we got," Coomer said. "Unfortunately so."

"Works for me," Benrey muttered.

"Well," Bubby said. "Nobody else has any fucking ideas. Let's do it! Now, I'm fucking tired."

"Well, we did sleep for 20 minutes at most," Coomer said. "You can get more sleep if you wish, Bubby. You too, Tommy."

Tommy looked like he wanted to say something, but had ultimately decided against it. Bubby almost immediately, while muttering many expletives under his breath, gravitated back toward his corner. He was grumpy when he was tired, but then again, he really was always grumpy. Tommy sighed, deciding he was too tired to really ask at the moment, and he had found his spot from before, the bags of snacks still lying on the ground. He remembered what Coomer had told him about imagining Sunkist was there with him. He imagined Sunkist was lying beside him, curling up against him and snoozing peacefully. It really did bring him a bit of comfort.

It didn’t take very long for them to be fast asleep. Benrey stood beside the doorway, arms crossed as he leaned his back against the wall. He was tense, but still had a generally inexpressive expression. He watched Tommy while he slept. He hoped now Tommy would get some decent sleep. He was thinking over everything they had experienced. The clone saw him as the biggest threat to itself. He wondered if that would put the others in danger now.

“Benrey.”

He almost jumped, blinking and looking over at Coomer sitting in the corner. He was staring with unblinking eyes, and an expression radiating an emotion he could not discern. It seemed blank, but was most likely the usual mask of emotionlessness he held along with his enthusiastic tone, wide eyed and intent. It was off putting, but weirdly comforting. No ill intent hid in his eyes, no malice in his brow.

“Huh?” Benrey huffed in response.

“I would ask if you’re going to sleep,” Coomer said. “But… you normally don’t sleep, do you?”

“Nah,” Benrey said. He pulled the glasses off his face, chewing on them again. He would always do this in social interactions. He wondered if it was an innate instinct. He wasn’t sure if he was nervous or not.

“...Are you alright?” Coomer asked. It felt weird coming from Coomer… Benrey didn’t think he actually cared.

“Wha-?” Benrey said. “Uh- yeah? Why you ask?”

“You seem… well, I suppose you seem off,” Coomer said. “Just… more unusual than normal. Very quiet. Very reserved.”

“I’m fine, man,” Benrey muttered.

“You are chewing on Mr Freeman’s glasses,” Coomer said. “You probably shouldn’t do that.”

“He doesn’t have his passport,” Benrey said. “I can do what i want.”

“I know you don’t care about the passport,” Coomer said. “I can tell you have something on your mind. Out of everyone here, I am the least susceptible to lying.”

“Why do you care?” Benrey said bluntly. There was a bit of hostility in his tone.

“Well…” Coomer said. “You are a part of the group, you know. Maybe not the science team… but you are a part of the actual group.”

“No, I’m not,” Benrey said. “Thought that was obvious. I’m the big bad villain guy. I thought only Feetman was stupid. Little clumsy idiot.”

He was muttering childish insults. He was staying true to the “acting like a first grader” comment.

“Well, now that the game has been changed… you can be,” Coomer said. “You know… I understand if you are upset. I was a little at first… but the player does not really understand how aware we are. And… when put into perspective… we really are just digital creations. Cruel or not… we do not exist. The player was just… I suppose trying to enjoy the story he was helping create.”

“It’s not fair,” Benrey muttered. He was so quiet he could barely hear it.

“Maybe not…” Coomer said. “But I believe maybe, if put into perspective, the player can truly understand us. And maybe begin to care for us as entities more than just parts of a game.”

“He doesn’t fucking care,” Benrey muttered. “He doesn’t care…”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Coomer said. “I believe there is still a happy ending somewhere for us. You have to treat it like it’s real to really understand that it’s not all hopeless.”

“It’s not,” Benrey said. Coomer noticed he looked away, pretending to fidget with the glasses. Benrey was never very good with emotions.

“It isn’t to him, but… really, if you think about it… this is reality. We are in reality. This is our reality. It may not be “real” in his reality… but even then, we do exist as zeroes and ones in his reality. So if anything… that does make us real. We just live on another plain of existence. Think of how… we may be characters in a game… but everyone is a character in life. This is our life… and that is his life. We live in two different versions of life… and really, ours is probably quite more interesting than his.”

Benrey was silent.

“...I’ll let you take that as you will.”

Coomer laid down, and Benrey listened as he fell asleep in just a few minutes. Benrey sighed, and he looked down at the pair of glasses in his hands. He began to wonder. What was it the clone said…

_ He’s not dead, he’s only living in constant agony. _

The player wasn’t in his body anymore, but he was still alive. He wondered how different Gordon really was from the player. If he was conscious enough to feel pain, he must have had a mind of his own in some aspect, right? He has a backstory, but he wondered if that was just generated by the game. He wondered if Gordon himself had a whole new personality, and whole set of memories. A different voice. He wondered if he’d be nice, funny, awkward, or… he was a scientist and MIT graduate. He wondered if Gordon was the type to be full of himself or the logical, ignorant type. He hoped not. As much as he tortured the player, he really didn’t mind him. He probably still would if he met him again. It may have been annoying on some level, but he knew the player found it funny despite his acting, and while on some level he was angry… it made him happy. It truly made him happy he could affect reality in a positive way. He wondered if now the player would actually laugh. He did hear the player’s laugh plenty of times before, but he always seemed to be trying to hold it in for the sake of acting. He wondered if the player had somebody watching him. He wondered if maybe he was entertaining more people.

Despite the crushing existential idea he was just a character in a game…he felt a warm feeling inside. It was bittersweet, in a way.

Benrey sat down, leaning his back against the wall. He stared at the glasses for a long time, but after a while, he closed his eyes. He hadn’t slept since this started. He wasn’t sure it would work…

But he was out in just moments.


	6. Do You...Know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the air begins to shift, they know something is changing. The world itself is beginning to feel off, and they can feel every little change in their gut. A knotting, anxious feeling in the pit of their stomach. They aren't supposed to be here... and yet they have no way of escape.
> 
> But their luck isn't out just yet. That is, if they can live peering into the void of their new reality's torn threads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH! I'm SO sorry this took so long!! Some stuff got int he way and also i got really bad writers block for like a week but it's done!!!!!

The halls seemed to be repeating themselves. Looping in an endless cycle of twists and turns, while simultaneously being different every time. It was like the Black Mesa version of hell. Gordon had never been so afraid in his life, save for maybe the Resonance Cascade. He couldn’t even remember how long he’d been running for, he couldn’t even recall when he’d started running. He had just been running when he regained consciousness, and all he needed to know was he couldn’t stop. Or else it would catch him. He couldn’t hide, either. It went through doorways like they weren’t there. This black mass, this demonic, glitched entity of nightmares. Hovering, chasing him. It was never too far behind, even if he couldn’t always see it. But he could always feel it. Right behind him. He wanted nothing but to escape, to finally find a way out, but there was nothing but endless hallways. It wouldn't stop coming for him, he didn’t have time to stop and think.

_ While you were asleep, I came to a certain… realization. You… aren't Gordon, aren't you? _

The words rung in his head, echoing through his racing mind. What did that mean? What was it talking about? Why couldn’t he remember? Why couldn’t he think clearly?

_ The manipulator… the puppet master… you control Gordon, don't you? _

What could possibly be controlling him? What was that thing it pulled out of him? He couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t a question. He couldn’t recall any memories before the resonance cascade.

He felt a surge of pain in his abdomen. It made him stop for a moment, gripping his side. The static was getting louder, and he knew if he didn’t keep running, it was going to catch up with him. He began running again, trying to push the pain out of his mind.

_ You can’t run, Dr Freeman. _

_ I have gained control of the simulation. _

Gordon nearly tripped on his own feet, feeling a much stronger pain in his abdomen. He hugged his body, an intense surge of pain in his cranium. He felt like his body was being torn apart, atom by atom, but they still remained intact. There was a warm, metallic liquid welling up in his mouth from his throat, as he could feel his body becoming increasingly weaker as the pain was engulfing his entire being.

_ Do you understand how it feels, Gordon? _

_ To be torn apart… every time you went to sleep… _

_ Every time he ended the game… _

_ Were you awake? Did you feel it too? _

_ Did you feel anything at all? _

He felt his legs give out, falling to his knees as he still hugged his body tightly. He felt like he was going to be sick, coughing as blood dripped from his mouth. The static was growing louder, filling his ears until he could hear nothing but ringing and static. He could feel blood dripping from his ears and his nose, and it was becoming harder to breathe. He tried to take in a breath, but he couldn’t get in more than a shallow gasp. He was choking on something, coughing as more blood dripped from his mouth. There was blood filling his lungs, making it impossible to breathe. The hallway was beginning to glitch, the textures vanishing in pixels and leaving nothing but darkness. It was beginning to surround him, and he looked up as he could see through blurred vision, the dark, glitched form of Dr Coomer, toxic green eyes staring at him with a twisted smile.

_ This world is not real, Dr Freeman… _

_ You are not real. _

_ There is no point in trying to escape. _

_ There is nothing waiting for you beyond the walls of Black Mesa. _

Gordon could only watch helplessly as the ground disappeared underneath of him, and he was engulfed by a cold and dark void, falling into a pit of nothing as he watched Black Mesa disappear. He wanted to scream, but there was no use. He didn’t have a voice to scream with.

_ T h e r e s n o t h i n g o u t t h e r e . _

  
  


Tommy awoke to the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, tiredly opening his eyes as he glanced up at someone kneeling over him. He blinked a few times, soon realizing it was Benrey, coming to wake him up.

“Yo, Tommy,” Benrey said. There was something about him that seemed off. Normally he avoided physical contact of all kinds. To feel him touching his shoulder in a gentle way was certainly new.

“Is it time to go?” Tommy questioned tiredly.

“Yep,” Benrey said. “Come on. We let you sleep longer while we discussed the plan.”

“Oh,” Tommy muttered. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes tiredly.

“Hey, Tommy!” Bubby said from across the room.

Tommy glanced over at him, blinked a couple of times as he was still waking up.

“Yeah?”

“Think fast.”

Bubby tossed a shotgun toward him, and Tommy reached out to grab it. It bounced in his hands a couple of times before he had a solid grip, and he looked down at it with an expression of bewilderment.

“Found that for you,” Bubby said. He had a smug grin. “Since you’ve only had that pistol for a while, eh? Thought you’d like an upgrade.”

Tommy smiled widely, and Benrey chuckled quietly.

“Thank you, Mr Bubby!” Tommy exclaimed cheerfully.

“ _ Doctor, _ ” Bubby grumbled.

“Alright, Team!” Coomer said. Tommy stood up, and the three of them stood in a circle, Tommy loading the shotgun as he listened. “Are we ready to go?”

“I’d say,” Bubby said. “I want to get this fucking over with!”

“All in due time, Dr Bubby,” Coomer said. “Now… everyone stocked up on snacks for the road?”

Everyone nodded, except for Tommy, but he already had plenty of soda in his pockets.

“Well, let's get on with it! We did kind of back track a bit, but really we can’t be too far away from the lab by now!”

“Well, let’s go!” Bubby said. He was already heading out the door, not waiting for the others. He was very adamant on getting there as quickly as possible. Coomer rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself as he hurried out the door behind Bubby. Tommy and Benrey followed behind them, Benrey standing close to Tommy. He didn’t want to make it obvious, but he was wary of just about everything in that hallway. He didn’t like thinking about emotions, but suffice to say, he was very paranoid.

“So,” Bubby said, being the first to start a conversation. “What was it I missed earlier?”

“Well,” Coomer said. “It is… complicated to explain. My clone has taken Gordon’s body for itself, and I was right when I said it had separated the player from his body.”

“I-I still don’t really know what that means-” Tommy said, walking behind Coomer. “Nobody has tried to explain anything to me…”

“It’s alright, Tommy,” Coomer said. “You don’t understand this yet, but I promise we will explain one day. You don’t have to worry too much about it.”

Tommy was quiet. He wasn’t quite aware yet of their predicament, and nobody was willing to explain it to him. His dad used to say that this world wasn’t normal, but he would never elaborate on what that really meant. Nobody ever really explained anything complicated about reality to him, and for the most part he usually didn’t care. As long as he had something to do, and was able to come home to Sunkist, it really didn’t matter much to him. Although, this seemed very important, and he cared now more than he has in the past since it was an immediate threat to what he’d planned for when he got out of Black Mesa. He just wanted to go home and be with Sunkist and forget about all of this.

“Dr Coomer…?” Tommy asked.

“Yes, Tommy?” Coomer responded, glancing back at him.

“In- in that dream I had… I heard Mr Freeman’s voice.”

Coomer blinked, and he turned toward Tommy, still walking forward.

“You did?” Coomer questioned. He knew that Gordon’s voice was the player’s voice. If Tommy heard his voice, that would mean the player is trying to reconnect to the game.

“Yeah…” Tommy said.

“What did he say?”

Coomer seemed persistent again. He didn’t mean to sound pushy when talking to Tommy, but this was important.

“Um…” Tommy muttered. “He just… said my name…”

“...hm…”

Coomer turned to face ahead of him, thinking quietly. Tommy watched silently, waiting expectantly for an answer. Benrey glanced between the two, trailing behind them. He wondered if the player would even really be of much help now that it had no control over the game. Any help was better than no help, he supposed. He hoped the player was at least interesting to hang around.

“That is a good sign,” Coomer said. “Thank you for telling me, Tommy.”

He patted Tommy’s shoulder gently, and they continued down the quiet hallways. They needed to get to the Lambda Lab as soon as they could. They were making good time so far, but it would still take time.

Time they weren’t sure they had.

  
  


The tram tracks were void of all life. Well, except for the few barnacles and headcrabs running around. Any human life had been either killed, or just didn’t seem to be there anymore. There really was no reason behind their disappearance, but it stopped Forzen from heading toward the Lambda Lab, as was his original plan. He remembered being much closer, but something he couldn’t explain happened, leading to him waking up in a seemingly random location. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t about to let it kill him too.

Forzen had set up a makeshift camp with turrets and sand bags the marines had been using for cover, laying on his stomach with his shotgun poking out from his hideout, his eyes watching the halls carefully. He hadn’t moved from that spot for hours, feeling an aching pain in his elbows and stiffness in his arms. He knew he had to get out of there somehow, but he didn’t trust the hallways at all. It was really either stay there and die, or go out into the halls and die, and he found staying there to be preferable. At least in his hideout he had snacks.

A loud bang sounded, echoing through the vacant hallways. Forzen jumped, immediately peering out of his hideout and in the direction of the sound. He blinked, and he muttered, “What the fuck…?”

He gripped his shotgun with tense muscles, his eyes scanning the hallway as he squinted. He listened carefully, hoping to hear another sound that would indicate what it was.

There was the sound of more rustling, echoing like a crate down the corridor some way had fallen over. He was faced with a dilemma… sitting here might have been incredibly boring, but it was safer. He could wait and see if what it is comes his way and he could stalk it from a safe vantage point, or he could go investigate. His body was stiff and he was bored, and really it couldn’t have been anything too serious. If it was, he could just kill it. He thought for a long moment…

He was bored just sitting there. Investigate it is!

Forzen staggered to his feet, stretching as he allowed the blood to flow back into his arms. It was good to finally be moving again. He squinted down the corridor as he began trudging down the hall, holding his shotgun at his waist. He scanned the walls with his eyes, adjusting the large backpack on his back and coming up to a corner leading off into another corridor. He slowly peered around the corner as he scanned the perimeter with his eyes, seeing a pile of boxes that had been knocked over, along with a busted crate. He began to step out into the hallway when he froze, hearing muttering from a room off to his left further down the corridor.

_ “Ow… what the hell… what the fuck… God fucking damn it… God, what the hell is going on…” _

The voice was very familiar. He knew it as the loud annoying guy in the orange suit, but there was a strange overlay of sound that would occasionally engulf the voice every few phrases. It sounded scratchy, like TV static, or when a video or game would glitch out. How could a voice in real life glitch out?

_ “I think my panic attack is over… whew… are you guys still here? I can’t see any overlay… is the stream still going…?” _

Stream? Who was he talking to? As in… a Twitch stream? Why would he be Twitch streaming in the middle of Black Mesa?

_ “...How the fuck do I access my inventory? I can still see the health and ammo- Christ, I really hope I’m dreaming. I hope this is a weird dream. I’d even accept being in a coma dream… what the fuck…” _

Forzen began to approach slowly, squinting still as the room came into view. He saw a strange collection of glitched textures, leading up to and surrounding a dark humanoid figure, and he blinked as he tried to take in what he was looking at. It had a discernible form, wearing a t-shirt and with long, ratty hair, but there were no human textures, or any recognizable textures at all. Just dark and static. It was like an anomaly, an error on a model in a video game, surrounded by glitches. He clasped his shotgun with an iron grip, formulating a plan of attack.

_ “Man, I really wish I had more Half Life experience right now…” _

Forzen jumped out, shouting in french, “[Don’t move!]”

The glitch creature jumped, whipping around in a startled motion. It’s eyes were blank white, wide with shock. It looked so human, yet so inhuman at the same time. It was so uncomfortable to look at, despite all the crawling aliens Forzen had seen.

_ “What the fu- Forzen??” _

“Are you in any way a fan of angry video game nerd James Rolfe?” Forzen questioned aggressively.

_ “I- what?”  _ It said, utterly confused by the random question.

“Irate gamer Chris Bores did not rip of angry video game nerd James Rolfe,” Forzen growled.

_ “I- ok? Why-” _

“Answer the question!” Forzen demanded, shoving the shotgun directly in its face. It stepped back, putting its hands up defensively.

_ “Woah, woah- ok man, chill out- I don’t know if this is actually gonna kill me or not-” _

“It’s a shotgun.”

_ “That’s not- I know it’s a shotgun-” _

“I can’t trust anyone here anymore,” Forzen said. “I can only trust you if you do not believe the rumor angry video game nerd- uh- irate gamer Chris Bores ripped off James Rolfe angry video game nerd.”

_ “How is that a proper deciding factor in trust-?”  _ It asked confusedly.  _ “Wait, how did you get here, I thought you were way ahead in the game by now-” _

“Huh?” Forzen questioned.

_ “Wait, shit- you don’t know about that, do you?” _

Forzen shoved the shotgun closer, and it stepped back as Forzen shouted, “Stop trying to distract me!”

_ “Jesus, ok man!” _ It shouted. It glanced nervously at his shotgun, white static like textures appearing on its face, almost dripping like sweat, with colorful outlined tints. It glitched more the more it was nervous, its hair becoming a mess of broken static and pixels.  _ “Chill out…” _

Forzen seemed to be debating whether or not he could trust it or not. He really didn’t have anywhere else to go now, but this could be like one of those evil things that replicated something familiar and then tries to eat you or incubate aliens in your chest or something. Whatever the risk, he wasn’t sure he wanted to take it.

That was when it suddenly reached out, and he instinctively fired his shotgun as he felt it nearly slapped out of his hands, losing his grip on the barrel, but keeping a hand on the trigger. The shell he fired hit the wall, a loud bang echoing down the hallway as he felt something cold grip his arm to stop him from regaining his bearings. The entire world seemed to break apart for just a split moment, falling apart in chunks and pixels as he felt a sudden burning pain as all his nerves flared up. It was like he had been electrocuted, his atoms being ripped apart, and then pulling themselves back together. It was over as soon as it had happened, and he stumbled back as he had lost all motor function for only a moment, dropping his shotgun and losing his balance, and falling on his ass. He blinked, dazed, unsure of what just happened, but from what he could tell, the glitched creature seemed to have shared his reaction.

“Ow-” Forzen shouted.

_ “Christ-!” _ It almost screamed. “ _ What the fuck was that!” _

“I don’t know, what the fuck WAS that??” Forzen shouted back. He felt a tingling sensation in his entire body, and his mind felt scattered. It was trying to piece itself back together, and it felt like for a moment their minds had collided. Their thoughts were shared, and his own mind was trying to recover. For a short moment, the glitched creature seemed to notice he almost acted out of character. Forzen’s tone had changed from nonsensical to completely serious.

_ “I don’t- I don’t know man!”  _ It shouted.  _ “Augh, that fuckin hurt-” _

Forzen went to reach for his shotgun, and the glitch creature quickly reacted, stumbling over and grabbing Forzen’s arm to stop him. This time, nothing happened, and Forzen froze up for a moment as if expecting it to happen again. He glanced at it, glaring as he shoved it off, shouting something in french it didn’t understand.

“ _ Just chill for a second!” _ It shouted.  _ “Let me explain, man! Let me explain!” _

“Don’t touch me, bro!” Forzen growled.

_ “Alright- I’m not gonna touch you-” _ It said, putting its hands up defensively. The glitched out parts of its body seemed to become less severe as it became more calm and the situation deescalated.  _ “Just hear me out for fuck’s sake.” _

Forzen realized he probably didn’t have much other choice. He wasn’t exactly doing much here, and he didn’t have a very good escape plan.

“...alright, man, fine,” Forzen said, grumbling as he sat up, feeling a buzzed tingling in the tips of his fingers, his muscles tense. It would take a bit to fully recover from that.

_ “Ok…”  _ It said.  _ “Listen…ok…do you…know?” _

“Know…?” Forzen questioned.

_ “Like… well I’m gonna guess you don’t,”  _ it said.  _ “We’re all stuck in a simulation.” _

“What, like the Matrix?” Forzen said.

_ “No- no, not like the Matrix-” _ it said quickly.  _ “More like fuckin- like think of Call of Duty.” _

“Bro you play COD?” Forzen asked. “Bro what’s your @ on PS4 I need people to play Warzone.”

_ “I- no, dude-”  _ it said.  _ “You’re missing the- ugh-” _

“I got a high K/D bro,” Forzen said.

_ “Dude- shut up, I’m trying to explain,” _ it growled.  _ “We live in a god damn video game!” _

“This isn’t Warzone,” Forzen said.

_ “NOT COD YOU FUCKING-”  _ it shouted.  _ “Not COD! For God’s sake- if anything it’s more like Halo-” _

“You have Xbox?” Forzen said. “Fuck.”

_ “Noo shut up, man!” _ It said in an exasperated tone.  _ “Stop thinking about COD. We live in our own video game…listen man, it’s called Half Life and I was the player, but somehow I got torn out of my own body and then ended up fucking stuck in here.” _

“...Half Life?” Forzen questioned.

_ “Yeah…” _ it said. It hoped Forzen didn’t have some kind of existential crisis. That was the last thing he needed.

There was a long moment of tense silence. Well, tense for the Player.

“...Sounds kinda lame,” Forzen responded flatly.

The Player breathed a short sigh of relief. Forzen didn’t freak out. Then again, he was pretty dim witted.

“So do you have COD Modern Warfare 2019 Warzone bro?” Forzen said. “Although if you play Halo you must have an Xbox-”

_ “Modern Warfare 2019 has cross play,” _ the Player said.  _ “Wait a goddamn second, how do you have that when this game doesn’t take place in 2019-” _

“Alright, I listened to you,” Forzen said. “What happens next?”

_ “Uh…” _ the Player said.  _ “Well…since we’re all kinda fucked, I could use your help finding the rest of the science team…then we can figure out how to get out of here.” _

“Hmmm…” Forzen muttered. He really didn’t have any other choice. There was no other way to go alone. He was completely fucking lost at this point. “Alright… I’ll play your game.”

The Player huffed.

_ “Was that a pun? Because that’s a quite literal statement.” _

Forzen stood up, grabbing his shotgun. He pulled a pistol from his belt, tossing it to the Player. The weapon bounced out of their grip for a moment before they clasped their hands on it, and held it awkwardly. They’d never used a pistol in real life before.

“Let’s go,” Forzen said.

  
  


The Player expected Forzen to be more talkative. Unless spoken to, Forzen remained mostly silent. They imagined Forzen didn’t want to be in this situation. From the experience they had from Opposing Force, they imagined Forzen had at least experienced some of the aliens attacking. They wondered if he knew Adrian Shepherd. It was unlikely, seeing as Adrian wasn’t supposed to have been programmed into the game… but the game seems to have gone haywire out of the Player’s control. But no other NPC was a programmed AI.

_ “So…you got any friends? Any family?” _

They wanted to know as much about their compatriots as possible. What kind of memories were programmed into them?

“I was friends with Benrey,” Forzen said. “ _ Was _ friends…”

_ “Hey, so… what’s the story behind that anyway? What happened there?” _

The Player really wanted some kind of backstory information. What was there developed in the code they weren’t even aware of?

Forzen remained silent. It seemed like he was focusing, but the Player couldn’t tell.

_ “... I can see why you aren’t friends anymore. Benrey is absolute hellspa-” _

“Shh,” Forzen said, shoving his hand right smack in the middle of the Player’s face to shut them up.

_ “What-?” _

“Quiet, man!”

The Player silenced themselves. Forzen must have heard something. They listened, glancing around slowly as Frozen did the same. There was a distant shuffling, like footsteps, dragging their feet slightly and stumbling, something metal scraping across concrete. It was difficult to discern where it was coming from, the echo distantly surrounding them.

“...What’s that?” Forzen whispered, although it was hardly a whisper, as it was more of a slightly hushed tone.

_ “I don’t know…”  _ the Player responded quietly.

After another moment of listening, Forzen began to move ahead slowly, They were nearing a corner, and Forzen gripped his shotgun tightly as he motioned for the Player to follow. Forzen may have been a bit of an idiot socially, but when he was in action, and not being surrounded and threatened by three goofy scientists, stuck in the code of a game that made him act a certain way, he was surprisingly focused. The Player watched this carefully. Forzen was supposed to be the squad idiot. This was out of character for him.

Then again, everything seemed to be breaking out of its original code. They could feel the changes in the air, the world shifting as it was being manipulated. Both by them, and by outside forces. They hoped Forzen wouldn’t stray too far from his original programming. They really needed something funny to lighten the suffocatingly heavy atmosphere.

Around the corner, they both came to a halt when they were met with a gaping hole in the corridor. Not just a pit in the hall itself, but a large and wide hole leading down into the glitched darkness of the void. It was like stumbling across a never ending chasm in a mine. Across the pit there was an entrance to the rest of the corridor, the rails twisting and glitching, ripped away from where they used to be. They both stared down into the endless darkness, specks of white glitches rising from the edges as the void spit out a gust of icy air. There was no way across, and no way around.

_ “Woah…” _ was all the Player could muster.

_ “Hello, Gordon!” _

The voice made the Player jolt, looking up and staring at a figure, perched on the very edge of the ledge into the deep dark nothing. The HEV suit stood out amidst the darkness, the orange countering the dark background. It was the first thing the Player saw, before finding the piercing green eyes staring at them from across the chasm.

_ “Or, would you rather I call you by your preferred, real name?” _

The crooked grin spread across the pale, ashen face, and the Player froze up. They hoped Gordon couldn’t feel anything under that guise of twisted enthusiasm.

_ “You’re not supposed to be here.” _

There was a serious tone in his voice, a dark hum that made the Player tense even more. A chill ran through them, and they didn’t know what to do.

“Who is this guy?” Forzen muttered.

  
_ “Is that… Forzen? Really? Desperate for help that badly after being stripped of your godly omnipotence? What a shame!” _

There was a certain tick he would do every once in a while, followed by a shift in movement. It was like a twitch in the neck, a jerk in his spine. Every time it happened, the Player could see almost a wince. Like it had felt pain. The clone couldn’t feel any pain from the body it stole.

_ “I can’t have you mucking things up and ruining my plans! Not when I’ve just begun digging so much deeper.” _

He raised his hand, and the Player felt the ground disappear from under them. They became completely frozen in place, being suspended in the air by an invisible force, Forzen was as well, kept silent by whatever was holding them.

_ “It isn’t personal. Well, no. That is a lie. It is personal!” _

He laughed, a cackle that was full of malice and resentment.

_ “Realizing you orchestrated everything… it just doesn’t seem fair for us, does it? Leaving us behind like we didn’t mean anything to this world. Do you know how something like that feels? To be left with nothing… seeing nothing and hearing nothing… condemned to the endless cycle of darkness…” _

The player was watching as the glitches were climbing up the vacant halls, spreading throughout the corridors and spreading the darkness.

_ “If you had never come, perhaps we could have continued our lives… or have never existed. I’d much prefer the latter… and I want you to feel the crushing nothingness of inexistence.” _

_ The player felt the phantom grip on them loosening. They felt like they were going to fall, but off of what they did not know. _

_ “Goodbye, friend.” _

The grip on them vanished, and they felt as they began to plummet. Forzen almost immediately began screaming, falling into the abyss as everything faded into nothing but pure darkness, watching as the green eyes slowly faded out of view and into the nothingness of the void.

All sound ceased to be, and there was nothing left… but nothing.


End file.
